The Passage Of Dawn: Aurora, Peasent to Princess
by airgirl555
Summary: from Pandachan'sKarichan When a young girl gets thrown out of her villege, Zuko takes it upon himself to care for her. As he adopts the name Father, she adopts the name Aurora. When Aurora falls deadly ill, Zuko has no one to turn to for help but a healer
1. Chapter 1

Intoduction to **The Passage Of Dawn: Aurora, Peasent to Princess:**

**Zutara!** When a young girl gets thrown out of her villege, Zuko takes it upon himself to care for her. As he adopts the name "Father", she adopts the name Arora. When Arora falls deadly ill, Zuko has no one to turn to for help but a healer- A waterbending-healer. Will Katara save her, and if she dose will they be able to escape Zhao and Azula in time?

I have been given the honor of continueing the story: **The Passage Of Dawn: Aurora, Peasent to Princess** by Panda-chan's Kari-chan the first fourteen chapters, are hers, I will add her name to the bottom so no one thinks I'm joking or steeling, I had FULL permition. this is an amazing story and I hope that I'll be able to do as well as Panda-chan's Kari-chan. Please Review and save the dieing race of Natasha's brain cells!

Zuko: just get on with the story!

Gir: I've got Monkys in side my head!

Love and Peace!

-Natasha

Chapter 1: The Girl in the Woods

Prince Zuko had once again cornered Aang on a small island. But, as usual, he escaped at the last minute. The island also had a village, but it was to small to be of consequence.

To say the Fire Prince was unhappy was an understatement. He walked through the forest, fuming the whole way. Then he heard a strange sound. It sounded like someone was…crying? His curiosity overriding his previous anger, he followed the sound to its source. It was a little girl; no more than 5 years old. The sight tore at Zuko's cold heart. Very slowly, he approached the little girl. She looked up at him, questioning him with her sad eyes. Then he noticed something. Her hair was pitch black, and her skin was a light tan, but what surprised him most were her eyes; her topaz orange eyes. She couldn't have been an Earth Kingdom native like the villagers.

"It's alright," he said in a soft very un-Zuko like voice. "I'm not going to hurt you. Why are you crying?"

"Your Fire Nation, aren't you?" she asked looking at his armor.

"Yes," he said his anger rising slightly, "I am Fire Nation. Is that a problem?"

"Oh no. That makes things much better. Now I know you won't hurt me once I tell you my story." She said, smiling wanly.

"Why would I hurt you?"

"You'll see. I'm going to start at the very beginning." She took a deep breath. "My mother was a firebender. My father, however was an earthbender. They loved each other and were married. But when my father brought her home, the villagers hated her and called her a monster because she was from the Fire Nation, but when my father told them to stop they did. My parents were happy and soon she was pregnant with me. She died giving birth to me nine months later. My father was completely grief-stricken, and when the villagers saw me, they hated me too because I was a firebender. My father didn't pay much attention to me, except to feed me and change me. I reminded him too much of mother. When he left to fight in the war, the villagers took this chance to get rid of me. They said if I ever came back to the village again, they would kill me. That's why I'm crying. I'm not wanted or loved anywhere and I have nowhere to go."

She bowed her head in sadness.

Zuko felt his heart go out to the sad little girl. He wasn't wanted in his home either.

"How about you come with me?" he said.

"Does that make you my new daddy? Are you a firebender too? "

"Yup, on both acounts." he said making a small flame in his hand.

"Wow…" she said staring at it in awe.

"What's your name?" he asked suddenly.

Breaking her gaze on the flame, she replied, "I don't have one. The villagers all called me 'filth' and 'demon-spawn' and my father didn't remember to name me."

Surprised and disgusted by the treatment of the girl, he said, "Well how about I name you?"

"That would be cool!"

"How about…Aurora?"

"I like it. Its pretty."

"Okay, Aurora. Let's go to my ship." he said, beckoning to her.

"Wait, one more question; What's your name?"

"Zuko. Prince Zuko." He said taking her hand in his and helping her up.

"Does that make me a princess?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said leading her towards the forest and the ship. "Yeah it does."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own avatar damnit! Stop taunting me!

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Soon they arrived at the ship, where Iroh was ready to welcome them.

"Prince Zuko! Where have you been?" Iroh asked, walking quickly towards the two. Aurora hid behind Zuko and said,

"Daddy, who's that?"

That one sentence stopped Iroh in his tracks. Zuko then replied, "This is my Uncle Iroh, Dragon of the West."

"Wow…" she said.

Iroh finally snapped out of his daze and said to Zuko, "Daddy? What is she talking about Prince Zuko?"

"I've adopted her uncle. Her name is Aurora. She was an orphan, lost in the forest. The village had expelled her because she was a firebender." he replied, looking down at the girl.

"I am very proud of you Prince Zuko. That was very honorable." Iroh said. Turning to Aurora, he said "Hello my dear. You may call me Uncle Iroh."

"Okay." She said quietly, looking up at him with her bright, orange eyes.

" Have you ever had Ginseng Tea, Princess Aurora?"

"No Uncle. I've never had tea." She said, the title coming easily to her.

Zuko quickly ushered her across the deck to the door to the bedrooms.

"Sorry Uncle, not right now. She needs to eat, and then she needs to sleep. She's had a long day."

The prince was right. The sun had just recently sunk below the horizon, and it was slowly growing darker.

"All right Prince Zuko. Tomorrow then?" he said, directing the question to a disappearing Aurora.

"Okay Uncle." she called back to him.

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Below decks, all the soldiers in the mess hall had immediately focused their gaze on the little girl as she and Zuko came in.

When she saw all those people looking at her, she immediately hid behind Zuko and whispered, "Daddy, who are they? And why are they looking at me like that?"

Unfortunately enough for Zuko, the mess hall went completely silent before she said this, so everyone heard her.

"Daddy?" Lieutenant Ji asked, clearly laughing silently at Zuko.

"Yes? Do you have a problem with that?" Zuko said, his tone clearly stating that you would die a horrible death if you dared smart mouth him.

"Oh no, sir. I just wanted to meet the little girl." This was quiet true: all of them wanted to know who the shy, little girl was.

"Well?" Zuko said to Aurora. "Introduce yourself." He said bringing her forward. She gulped and turned to Ji.

"H-hello sir. My name is P-princess Aurora." She said, her voice quavering.

"Hello as well your highness." Ji said, bowing to the little girl. "My name is Lieutenant Ji."

"It's nice to meet you sir." Aurora said bowing back to him.

"She is very well mannered, Prince Zuko." Ji said, his attention back on Zuko.

"Thank you." He replied. "I thought so as well."

Aurora's stomach then let out a loud growl.

"Excuse me." She whispered, her face turning red in embarrassment.

Zuko turned to her with a worried expression on his face.

"Ji, can you go get the princess some food? She hasn't eaten all day."

"Of course your highness." Ji said, equally worried. Ji hurriedly fixed her a plate and handed it to Zuko.

"Thank you." Zuko said, taking the plate.

"Eat. You need your strength." Zuko said to her. She needed no prompting. Soon the entire plate was empty, and Aurora was dozing in her chair.

"All right, time for bed." Zuko said lifting her up and carrying her out of the mess hall. He quickly walked to the guestroom beside his. As soon as he was gone, Ji tunred to the helmsmen.

"You don't think she's really _his_. Do you?" he said

"It'd be impossible, he'd have to be... I don't know 10...11 at the time of her birth." said the helmsmen.

"Stranger things have happened." said Ji.

"That's true."

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Zuko opened the door, and set Aurora on the bed. He pulled the covers up to her chin, and said "Goodnight, princess."

She sat up, leaned towards him, and put her arms around his neck. Then she gave him kiss right below his scarred eye.

"Night-night, Daddy." She said, snuggling into her bed.

He gave her a kiss on the forehead and said, "If you need me, I'll be right through that door, okay?" he pointed to the door on the left wall of her room.

"Okay daddy."

And with that, he left the room, and shut the door.

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	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own avatar…but I do own this computer! So there! XP

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Ch. 3: Teaching

Zuko woke the next morning to someone shoving him awake.

"Wake up, Daddy! Uncle Iroh says I'm going to be taking lessons today!" Aurora said happily.

Zuko groaned and turned towards the window. It was about an hour after dawn, he snuggled back into his covers when a heavy pillow was thrown on his head.

"Okay, okay I'm up, I'm up." he said, pulling himself into an upright position. "How was your sleep? Was the bed comfortable?" he asked her.

"It was perfect!" she said. " Are you gonna get dressed soon and help Uncle with my lessons?"

"Yeah, just give me a minute. You go ahead and eat some breakfast. I'll be there soon."

"Okay, Daddy!" she said, going out the door.

Zuko dressed in his training clothes. He was pretty sure Uncle meant for him to teach her the basics of firebending, and armor wouldn't be very appropriate. After he was dressed, he made his way to the mess hall where he found his Uncle drinking tea and the princess eating a small breakfast of fruit.

"Ah, Prince Zuko! You're awake! Come have some tea and mangos," said Uncle Iroh.

"I don't want any tea, uncle." Zuko said, grabbing a mango.

"Daddy, Uncle Iroh says you and him are gonna teach me firebending today!" Aurora said, a huge smile lighting her face at the very thought.

"That's right, princess. After your done eating, we will all go up on the deck and practice." Iroh said, taking a sip of his tea.

"But I'm done now! Come on, let's go!" she said, pulling them towards the door. They had both eaten plenty, so they didn't resist.

Once out in the open air, Iroh headed to a bench to watch the practice and to give tips. Zuko continued to the middle of the deck with Aurora and started to speak.

"All right Aurora. First we will start with breathing exercises." He said.

"Okay." She replied.

"Fire comes from the breath, always remember that. First you must breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth." He demonstrated for her. She copied him perfectly.

After a few hours of practice, it was apparent that Aurora was a fast learner. Some of her attacks were a little weak, but that was to be expected. What wasn't expected, however, was this.

"Ouch!" Aurora cried, holding her hand.

"What's wrong? What happened, Aurora?" Zuko said, clearly very worried.

"I burnt myself…" she started crying.

Then something strange happened. Her hand started glowing a bright yellow – orange and the wounds started to close. When the glow left, her hands were completely healed over.

" Fire healing…" Iroh said softly. "Only one out of ten thousand have the ability. Aurora is a very lucky girl."

"I've heard about that. It was said that Fire Lord Sozen had the ability, but I didn't really believe it." Said Zuko, still staring at his daughter's hand.

Aurora, however, barely listened to the conversation. She looked at her hand in awe until finally she asked, "Are we gonna train more?"

"No, princess. I think now would be a good time to eat lunch, and then get on with your other lessons." Said Iroh, starting to walk off the deck.

"Okay." She said, following him below.

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(With Aang and the Gang)

It had been days since they had seen Zuko's ship. They were starting to worry about ambushes in the future. Sokka kept insisting that Zuko probably had given up, but Katara and Aang weren't so sure. It was getting dark, so they decided to camp at the next port, which happened to be named Chi - seng.

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(Back with Zuko)

"Prince Zuko?"

"Yes, uncle?"

"We are running low on supplies. We should dock at the next port. We also need to buy Aurora some new clothes. Her old ones are no longer fit to be worn."

"What's the next port?"

"Chi – seng."

"Alright then. Helmsman! Set a course for Chi – Seng!"

"Yes sir!"

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	4. Chapter 4

chapter 4

A/N: stares at all her reviews O.O I feel so loved! - well, we are gonna have excitement in this chapter but not the kind you might have suspected…..so keep reading and make sure u review 2

Disclaimer: If I owned Avatar, would I even bother writing this?

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Chapter 4: Ooo…new clothes!

When the ship finally docked in Chi – Seng, Iroh immediately dragged Aurora and Zuko off the ship to go shopping. Zuko almost refused, but when Aurora asked him, he agreed. After Iroh had stopped at all kinds of other shops, buying armloads of ridiculous things, they finally came to a tailor's shop.

"Ah," Iroh said to Aurora. "This will be the perfect place to buy you some new clothes!"

Her eyes lit up in wonder. "I'll really get my own clothes?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't you, Princess?" Iroh replied.

"Well, in my village, I never got new clothes. They were always hand me downs from the other villagers' children, and they were usually to big." She said, staring at the cloth in the window of the shop.

Zuko was once again startled at the treatment of the little girl. He and Iroh ushered her into the shop, where she picked out a few new outfits, and a couple ribbons for her hair.

As they all walked out of the shop, Aurora saw a girl in blue race around the corner. She was so fast Aurora thought she was seeing things. So, with purchases in tow, they all headed back to the ship.

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(With Aang and the Gang)

In the morning, Katara and the boys ate a quick breakfast before going into town. As she ate, Katara couldn't help but wonder what Zuko was doing.

_Why hasn't he been chasing us? His honor is on the line! What could have happened?_

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a tap on the shoulder.

"Katara?" Aang asked. "It's time to go to the market."

"Oh. Okay, Aang." She responded, shaking her head free of her previous thoughts.

They walked quickly down to the market, Sokka going to flirt, Aang going to look at useless items and Katara going to buy supplies.

As she walked down the street, buying carrots, fruits and some dried meat (for her and Sokka), she spotted something unusual.

There was Zuko, fully decked out in Fire Nation armor, in front of a tailor's shop, with a little girl and an old man! Katara knew the old man was his uncle, but who was that little girl? Katara then hid behind a fruit stand and listened to their conversation.

"Am I really getting new clothes, Daddy?" the little girl said.

"Of course," said Zuko, smiling at the girl. " Nothing is too good for a Princess."

" Yippy!" She said, hugging his waist. "Thank you, Daddy."

"Your welcome, Aurora." He replied.

Katara was shocked stiff. Zuko, ruthless prince extraordinare, had a daughter, and was _smiling_!

" _He has a nice smile…" _Katara thought. "_Ah! I can't be thinking that! He's the enemy, remember?"_

Zuko and the girl had already entered the shop before Katara's little episode, and were just now beginning to leave.

"I can't let them see me!" Katara said, jumping up and racing around the corner, running as fast a she could toward Appa. Little did she know that someone had spotted her running.

When she got back, Sokka and Aang had already made a fire and were lounging around the campsite, clearly waiting for her return.

"What took you so long Katara?" said Sokka. "We've been waiting for _hours!_"

"No we haven't Sokka. It's been more like 30 minutes." said Aang, jumping down from his place on Appa.

" Well, if you want to know, you all need to be quite and let me speak." Katara said, setting down the food she bought. She took a deep breath. " Zuko is here." She said.

"WHAT?" Sokka cried. "Where did you see him?"

"I saw him near a tailor's shop, but he didn't see me. We should leave NOW." She replied.

" Katara's right, Sokka" said Aang, gathering up the stuff and putting it on Appa. "We should get out of here while we still can."

"No need to tell me twice." Sokka replied, gathering up the rest of the camp and putting it on Appa too. Soon, everything was packed, so they all got on Appa and made their way to the next port, Kusabana, which was a week away.

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(Back with Zuko)

When they returned to the docks, a second Fire Navy ship was docked there, one that was all too familiar to Zuko.

"Zhao." He hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously. And, speak of the devil, there he was, walking down the horn of the ship and onto the dock right in front of the Prince.

As he was walking down, Aurora asked Zuko, "Daddy, who is that?"

Before Zuko could answer, Iroh replied, "That is Admiral Zhao."

"Oh." She said, hiding herself behind Zuko. "He's scary."

"You should be scared, little girl." Zhao said, having heard the conversation. Turning to Zuko he said, "Who is she anyway? She seems a little young for you."

"Your one sick man Zhao." Zuko said, moving Aurora out from behind him. "This is my adopted daughter, Princess Aurora. Now what do you want?"

"Oh, nothing much. I was just wondering if you had any news of the Avatar?"

"No, actually I don't." Zuko replied truthfully.

"How unfortunate." Zhao said, turning to Aurora. "How old are you, little girl?"

"I-I'm f-five s-sir." She said, stuttering in fear. This man was bad news, and she could feel it.

"Funny. You act much older." He said, dismissing her. "Well I'll be on my way. Good day, general, your highnesses." Inclining his head to each of them and walking away.

"That was odd." Prince Zuko said.

"I agree. Zhao is up to something." Iroh replied.

"Let's go back to the ship. It's getting dark."

"Yes, of course."

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	5. Chapter 5

chapter 5

**I'M SOOOOOOOO SORRY I DIDN'T GET THIS UP SOONER!!!!! -NH**

A/N: Ok, its time to clear up a few things.

1)Aurora's adoption isn't formal: the rest of the royal family still don't know, but that may soon change cough ZHAO cough, cough

2)Aurora was pretty much ignored by everyone in her village, so she decided to learn how to read whatever she could find. (this explaining her wide vocabulary and knowledge of birth time and pregnancy)

3)Since villagers gossip, she heard about her father and mother's story by listening/ eavesdropping to them.

4)You can't be too young to firebend…you're born with it. It usually shows up for the first time when your 1 ½ or 2.

5)If anything doesn't seem to add up, plz tell me and I will try to fix or explain it.

Your reviews make me feel warm and fuzzy inside! So plz R&R!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything with the words "Copyright" on them.

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After a wonderful dinner, Aurora was feeling sleepy, so Zuko took her to her room to sleep. As he helped her into her new pajamas, she asked him, "Will you check under my bed for monsters tonight, please?"

"Sure." He replied, tucking her in. He lifted the sides of the covers to look under and said, "All clear. No monsters."

"Thank you, Daddy." She said, clearly relieved. "Night-night."

"Goodnight, Princess. Sleep tight." He said, extinguishing the candles and closing the door.

Then, she went to sleep, unaware that her dreams were about to become much less pleasant.

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A loud scream awoke Zuko that night. Racing into his daughter's room, he found he sitting on the bed shaking, her face pale with fear.

He ran to her side and he heard her whisper, "Don't let him get me, Daddy, don't let him get me…" she hugged him close. "I was so scared, Daddy, I was so scared…"

He held her tightly and asked her, "Who's trying to get you?"

"Zhao…" she whimpered.

"Shush…" he said rubbing her back. "I'm here…"

Then, he thought of a song his mother used to sing to him when he had a bad dream.

_Come stop your crying,_

_It will be all right._

_Just take my hand, hold it tight._

_I will protect you from all around you, _

_I will be here, don't you cry._

_For one so small,_

_you seem so strong._

_My arms will hold you,_

_keep you safe and warm._

_This bond between us,_

_Can't be broken._

_I will be here, don't you cry._

_'Cause you'll be in my heart._

_Yes, you'll be in my heart._

_From this day on,_

_Now and forever more. _

_You'll be in my heart,_

_No matter what they say._

_You'll be here in my heart, always._

_Why can't they understand the way we feel?_

_They just don't trust what they can't explain._

_I know we're different but, deep inside us_

_We're not that different at all._

_And you'll be in my heart,_

_Yes, you'll be in my heart._

_From this day on,_

_Now and forever more. _

_Don't listen to them,_

_'Cause what do they know?_

_We need each other,_

_to have, to hold._

_They'll see in time._

_I know. _

'_Cause, you'll be in my heart, _

_No matter what they say._

_You'll be in my heart, always_

_Always…_

When Zuko finished the song, Aurora was sleeping peacefully in his arms. So, he decided to put her into her bed, bringing the covers up to her chin and kissing her forehead.

"Sweet dreams." He said, leaving the room and quietly shutting the door.

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(Somewhere no one wants to be)

"Admiral!"

"Yes?"

"We are in need of supplies."

"I thought we just got some." The Admiral said, his anger rising.

"Well, its seems that the rats in the storage have eaten most of the replacements we bought. We will need to stop again soon."

"What's the next port?"

"Kusabana, sir."

"Very well. Chart a course to Kusabana, and be quick about it!"

"Yes sir."

Zhao rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Why must I be surrounded by idiots?" he said to himself, staring out at the sea.

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Aurora was a very gifted writer. Her calligraphy was magnificent, always perfectly shaped and her strokes were graceful and purposeful.

One day when she was practicing her transcription, Iroh asked her when her birthday was.

"I think it's in about 5 days." She replied, not moving her eyes from the page.

"We should throw a party! It will be wonderful! There will be cake and music and presents and –"

"NO!" Aurora protested loudly, almost knocking over her inkbottle. "I mean, no thank you, Uncle Iroh, I'm fine truly…"

"Oh nonsense! We'll stop at the next port to buy you a gift, even if you don't want a party."

"Okay, uncle." She said defeatedly. She never really liked parties, they were too loud and she was usually never invited to one.

Iroh had already scurried off to find his nephew when Aurora returned to her writing.

"Prince Zuko!" Iroh called after reaching the captain's room where his nephew was currently leaning over a map.

"What now, uncle?" the prince replied exasperatedly.

"Did you know that the Princess's birthday is in a few days? We need to stop at the next port to find a gift."

"Fine, uncle. Helmsman! Set a course for Kusabana!"

"Yes sir!"

Zuko turned back to his uncle. "Happy now?" he asked.

"Very." Iroh replied.

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	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Michael-san and Bryan-san own Avatar. I am not Michael-san OR Bryan-san.

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(Aang and the Gang)

"Welcome to Kusabana, The City of Eternal Flowers!" exclaimed Aang as they approached the port.

"Stop DOING that!" said Sokka exasperatedly. "You do that EVERY time we come to a city!"

"Not all the time! I didn't do it when we were in Chi-seng! And plus, this place is special! It's full of flowers all year round!" Aang said, crossing his arms defensively.

"Both of you need to knock it off and land Appa!" said Katara, tired of both the boy's antics. Momo nodded at them too as if saying, "Yeah, knock it off."

"Fine." The boys said in unison, Sokka going back to polishing his boomerang, and Aang looking around for a spot to land.

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(With Admiral Monkey-face)

"Admiral! We are about to arrive in Kusabana!"

"Excellent! The sooner we get there, the sooner we can re-supply." Zhao replied.

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(With Zuko and Aurora)

Iroh had just walked into Aurora's room where she had been reading, when he said, "We will be in Kusabana shortly, Princess. You should get ready to go out."

"Alright, Uncle." She replied, setting down her book. Then he left the room while she changed. She really didn't want to get a gift. She didn't want to be a burden, and she already had many wonderful things. After she finished dressing, she walked up to the deck and leaned on the railing as the ship slowly made its way closer to land.

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(Narrator POV)

The beautiful, quiet city of Kusabana was bustling with activity, completely unaware of the three conflicting powers about to converge at noon that day.

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(Katara's POV)

As we walked down the street, collecting extra food for the journey, something _unexpected_ happened.

Zuko, Prince of the Fire Nation, spotted us.

I ran as fast as I could after Aang and Sokka, slowing for a minute to look behind us. It seemed Admiral Monkey-Face was here too, and was following Zuko's men closely.

"Why today? Why now?" I said to no one in particular.

Soon, we reached the forest on the outskirts of town. That's when all hell broke loose as Zhao's men attacked Zuko's in a whirlwind of swords, flame and fists.

Fortunately, we got away while they were distracted. After we reached Appa, we started to pack, and that's when _she_ wandered into our campsite.

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(Aurora's POV)

I was walking along beside Daddy, when I saw the girl in blue again, but this time, she was with a boy in blue and a boy with an arrow on his head.

I think Daddy saw her to, 'cause after he caught sight of her, we all started chasing her. Since I didn't know what was going on, I decided to follow Daddy. I looked behind us for a minute and instantly regretted it. That mean, Monkey-faced Zhao was chasing _us. _I started to run faster, until I reached the forest. Then everything was a blur. Flames passed over me and swords clashed with a clang. I got so confused, that I decided to run into the forest, hoping that Daddy was going there too. After I ran in, some of Monkey-Face's men started chasing me, so I made a small wall of fire to slow them down.

I then saw the glow of a fire.

"Daddy!" I called as I crashed into the clearing. But I was wrong. Staring at me through her calm blue eyes, was the girl.

"You're not my Daddy." I said.

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( Zuko's POV after battle)

"Damn!" I said. 'They got away again!"

I looked around the clearing. Some were dead, others were badly wounded. That's when I spotted a red hair ribbon. It hit me like a ton of bricks.

"Where's Aurora?" I asked my men. "Did you see where she went?"

No answer. I started to worry. "Aurora!" I called. "Aurora, where are you?"

"Calm yourself Prince Zuko." My uncle said. "She probably went back to the ship to wait. We should gather up the men and bury the dead. If she isn't on the ship, we will check the town. If she isn't there, she is probably with the Avatar or Zhao. Hopefully the former than the latter."

"All right uncle." I replied, calming now that we had a plan. "If she's with Zhao, and has been harmed, there's gonna be hell to pay." My fists ignited into flame.

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	7. Chapter 7

AVID READERS! PLEASE READ THE AUTHORS NOTE:

AN: I am TRULY sorry for the wait you guys, my life took an unexpected turn for the worst, my friends and family have been dying and or abandoning me, yesterday, my best friend in the whole world told me he never wanted to talk to me again… but he didn't even have the balls to tell me himself, he wrote it in a bulletin on myspace…. Not to mention the fact that I found out I have Auto Immune and I'm getting sicker and sicker, and I might die soon.

BUT! I have a sulloution! So, that this will NEVER happen again. I'd like to ask for your help! If I should die, or get thrown into a spiraling pool of insanity, like I did before. I'd like to have someone I trusted to be able to "take over" I know that some of you asked while I was gone, and I never got the chance to reply, mainly because I didn't want to give it up… I promise that if I do die, or need you to take over, I, or my mother will message you and tell you that it's time. Please send me a paragraph or two of some of your best work.

Anyway, I have surgery tomorrow… so yeah… on with the story:

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Katara and the boys were shocked, to say the least, when the girl appeared in camp. Katara also realized that this was the girl with Zuko that day in Chi – seng.

"You're not my Daddy." Aurora said, bowing here head in disappointment. She started crying softly.

"What's your name little one?" Katara said in a soft, claming voice.

Aurora looked up at her through tear filled eyes and said, "My name's Aurora. Have you seen my Daddy?"

"No but I'll tell you my name. My name is Katara." She said, kneeling down to look the little girl in the eye.

"May I call you Miss Kat?" Aurora asked, still upset over being lost.

"Sure thing Aurora." Katara said, smiling at her new nickname.

"Hey Katara! Who's that?" Aang asked, pointing to Aurora.

"This is Aurora. She's lost and can't find her way back to her father." Katara replied. "Aurora, this is Aang, my good friend, and the thing on his arm is his lemur Momo."

"Nice to meet you Aang." Aurora said. Momo then jumped over to her and sat on her shoulder.

"Momo seems to like you a lot! Would you like to come with us? We could help you find your father!" Aang said excitedly.

"Would you really? That would be great!" Aurora said just as excitedly, all traces of her tears gone.

"Hey Aang, Katara! You guys finished packing?" Sokka said, walking over to them. " We need to go soon and Appa –" he broke off his sentence. "Who's that? And why is she dressed in Fire Nation clothes?"

"This is Aurora. She's lost. She's gonna come with us to find her father!" said Aang. "And I don't know about the clothes thing. Maybe she's Fire Nation?"

"Yeah, I'm Fire Nation. But I'm also Earth Kingdom. My birth father was an earthbender, and my birth mother was a firebender. My _real _Daddy, the one that loves me, is Fire Nation." Aurora said, tired of everyone speaking for her.

"WHAT?" Sokka said, instantly flipping out at the words "Fire Nation" and "firebender".

"Could you excuse us a moment, Aurora?" Katara asked, wanting to talk with her brother and friend.

"Okay Miss Kat."

Katara then forcefully led her brother and Aang a little ways away so they could talk.

"Are you both CRAZY?" Sokka asked. "She can't come with us! She's FIRE NATION. She's even a firebender!"

"How do you know that?" asked Katara.

"Look." was all he said. When Katara looked back at Aurora, she saw the girl was playing with a small ball of fire.

"Oh. So? What's wrong with her being a firebender? She's a little girl, Sokka. She's _lost. _It's not like she can hurt us." Katara said indignantly. " Plus, I'm a master waterbender, and Aang is the Avatar! We can beat a little girl if we have to."

"Yeah Sokka, she's a lost little girl. Wouldn't you want to be helped if you were lost like her?" said Aang.

Sokka sighed in defeat. "Yeah, I guess your right. She can come, but we really need to leave."

They all then walked back to Aurora, who was still playing with her mini fireball.

"So, can I come with you, Miss Kat?" she asked Katara.

"Yup! But we got to leave so follow me." Katara replied.

They walked over to Appa, with the boys following them closely.

"This is Appa, my flying bison." Aang said, jumping onto Appa's back.

"Wow…He's really big. Can he really fly?" asked Aurora.

"Climb on and see for yourself." Aang said. After everyone was on Appa, he said "Okay, everyone ready? Appa, Yip - yip!"

Right when those two fated words left Aang's mouth, Appa launched into the air.

"You okay, Aurora?" asked Katara.

"Yeah… just a little startled that's all." she replied. "This has got to be the coolest birthday ever!"

"Today's your birthday? How old are you?"

"I'm six years old today."

Katara's mouth almost dropped in shock. She thought the girl was at least eight. She acted so much older than other six-year-olds. Soon the sun was sinking below the horizon, so Aang found a clearing where they could make camp and sleep. After they all laid out their blankets, they went to sleep, unaware of the turmoil caused by Aurora's absence.

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(With Zuko)

"Sir? We have some news of your daughter."

"Well then out with it!"

"She isn't in the town or on the ship sir. We have reason to believe that the Avatar or Admiral Zhao have her."

"Search Zhao's ship. I don't care how, just do it." Zuko said angrily.

"After that, find out where the Avatar is heading."

"Yes sir."

Zuko leaned his arms on the rail of his ship as he looked worriedly out at the sea.

"Please, Great Agni, let her be safe." He turned and went below decks, for it was getting very late.

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(Back with Aang and the Gang)

Later that night, Katara woke to a scream.

"Help! The monsters are gonna eat me, Daddy, don't let them eat me! Miss Kat, anyone, HELP" Aurora screamed. Katara quickly rushed over to her and held her close.

"Shush…. Its all right now, I've got you. The monsters are all gone."

Aurora calmed down a little and said, "Miss Kat? Is that you?"

"Yes, Aurora." She replied. She kissed the little girl on the forehead. "There now, feel better?" her only answer was a sigh of contentment. Then Aurora said, "Could you tell me a story?"

"Well, I don't know very many, so I'll tell you my story. You see it all started-" She then continued to tell Aurora about her finding Aang and them all traveling and Zuko chasing them. About the time when she was telling the girl about the Fortuneteller, Katara realized that Aurora had drifted off to sleep. So, Katara tucked her in, and gave her a motherly kiss on the forehead.

"Sweet dreams" she whispered, as she crawled back into her sleeping bag.

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The next morning, they all rose bright and early, eager to help Aurora find her father.

"So, what's he look like?" asked Aang.

"He's muscled, but lean, and he wears his hair in a top knot. He also has a scar on the left side of his face." Aurora replied.

Just to make sure he knew who she was talking about, he asked if she knew his name.

"His name is Prince Zuko. Katara told me you guy's story, so I know he's been chasing you. But what if we sent him a note via Momo, telling him to meet us somewhere, on the condition that he can't try to capture you all? Me and Miss Kat could wait for him, and you guys could hide a few yards back."

"That's a great idea! Are you _sure_ your only six?" asked Aang.

"I'm sure."

"I found a great place to meet!" said Katara, holding up the map. "It's called Lake Tsuchi. It's the perfect place! Aurora and I could wait by the lakeshore, and you guys could hide in the woods! We'd be safe from being captured because of all the water!"

"You're right Katara! Good thinking! We can get there in a day, so after we send the note, we need to get moving." said Sokka.

"Who's gonna write the note?" asked Aang.

"Oh! Can I write it? Please?" Aurora said excitedly.

"Sure. Here's some paper and something you can write with." Said Katara, handing the items to the girl.

"Thank you, Miss Kat!" Aurora said, then she sat down and started to write. After she was done, they tied the note to Momo's leg, and told him to take it to Prince Zuko. He finally complied when Aang told him he'd get a peach if he did the job well.

After Momo was safely in flight, they all packed up and headed towards the Lake.

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	8. Chapter 8

A/N: IT HAPPENED AGAIN

A/N: IT HAPPENED AGAIN! I am SO sorry! I promise promise promise to never ever ever leave this story alone for so long! Watch me as I do the impossible and update weekly to bi-weekly! PROMISE! I will be updating from now on every Friday, Saturday, or Sunday! Thank you so much ML7 for reminding me that this story exists, and still has many fans.

Now, On with the story.

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(With Zuko)

Prince Zuko was miserable. He wouldn't eat unless forced, and his sleep was plagued with nightmares. He missed his daughter so much! Her innocent smile could light up a room, and a simple "It's ok Daddy" Could wash his anger away. The ship seemed dark and lifeless without her. Even the crew was sad and reclusive. It was like the wind had gone out of their sails. She was like a representation of their own daughters and sisters they had left behind. With her gone, there was no laughing, or carousing. Just backs bent to their work, relying on the toil to keep their minds off her absence. The only thing that could console the Fire Prince was bending. One day when he was practicing on deck, he spotted a bird like thing flying towards the ship. As it flew closer, he realized that it wasn't a bird, it was the Avatar's flying lemur!

" What's the Avatar's lemur doing flying towards my ship?" he asked himself. That's when he caught sight of the paper tied to the lemur's leg. Momo then landed in front of him and handed him the letter. After the letter was safely in Zuko's hands, Momo flew off; eager to get the peach his master promised him.

Zuko stared after him for a little while, then he opened the letter. This is what it said:

_Dear Daddy,_

_I so sorry! I got lost in the woods after Monkey- Face's men came! I miss you a lot, but don't worry! Avatar Aang has set up a meeting place where you can come get me! It's Lake Tsuchi, but you have to promise not to capture him! I have to send this quickly, so I'll tell you the rest of the story later._

_Love,_

Aurora

He reread the letter many times, and with each time his smile grew wider and wider until he shouted "Uncle! Come and see this!"

Iroh had been watching the prince practice as he played Pai Chao with Lieutenant Jee, so he got up and walked over to the prince.

"What is it Prince Zuko?" he asked.

"Take a look for yourself, Uncle!" He said with ill-repressed glee.

That's when Iroh noticed the wide smile on his face. He grabbed the letter and quickly read it. As he did, his own smile grew.

"Lieutenant Jee!" he called. "Call all hands. We have some wonderful news!"

"Yes sir!"

Once everyone was on deck, Iroh addressed the crew.

"Men! I have wonderful news! The Princess has been located! She is currently with the Avatar, who has set up a rendezvous point for her return!"

This announcement was met with cheers, smiles, and even some tears!

"Captain!" Zuko called. "Set a course for the closest port to Lake Tsuchi!"

"Yes sir!" he replied, quickly changing course.

"How long will it take to reach the lake?" Iroh asked.

"Three days, uncle. Three days until she's back." Zuko replied, looking out to sea with new hope in his eyes.

"Thank you, Great Agni, for hearing my prayer."

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(With Aang and the Gang)

A few days later, they reached the lake. Aang and Sokka made camp in the woods, while Katara and Aurora waited near the lakeshore.

"Miss Kat, why are you so nervous?" asked Aurora.

"I'm not nervous! Just a little restless is all. I'm going to practice my waterbending, wanna watch?" Katara replied.

Katara was in fact nervous, but she didn't want to show it. Prince Zuko intimidated her, and she was nervous about meeting him face to face again.

Soon, a rustling in the trees alerted them that someone was coming. Once the trees parted, Prince Zuko stepped out.

"Daddy!" Aurora called, running up to him.

"Aurora!" he replied with just as much joy. He showered her with kisses and enveloped her in a huge hug. "I missed you so much!" he said.

"I missed you too, Daddy." she replied rubbing her face into his chest.

Katara just stood there, completely dumbstruck by the Prince's display of affection. She never thought he could smile, let alone show so much joy and love for another!

"_He's human! Of course he can! Just because he's Fire Nation doesn't mean he can't show love!" _said her conscience.

"_Your right_." She replied. "_I've just never seen this part of him before!"_

While she was having this conversation, Zuko had let go of Aurora and stood up.

"Thank you for taking such good care of my daughter." He said, his voice shaking Katara out of her trance.

"It was no problem. She's a wonderful child." She replied.

" I know." He said, looking down at the girl. "I will give you and the Avatar a day's head start before I begin to chase you again. I trust you will use it wisely."

"Thank you, Prince Zuko." Katara said, bowing.

"It's the least I could do after returning my daughter to me." He said, also bowing. Then he took Aurora's hand in his and walked towards the edge of the forest.

"Goodbye, Miss Kat!" Aurora called over her shoulder.

"Bye Aurora! Be good!" she replied, waving.

"I will!" Aurora said, her voice slowly fading away.

"I'm going to miss that little girl." Katara said to herself as she walked quietly back to Appa.

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	9. Chapter 9

A/N: What'd I say

A/N: What'd I say? A week right? And I kept my promise! XD yay for me! This chapter will be about a sickness…In which character? You must read to find out! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!

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(With Zuko)

A few days after her return, things settled back down into normalcy. When she first arrived, the crew was celebrating from dusk 'til dawn.

Now everyone was back at work, keeping the ship moving and working in peek condition.

Every few days, Momo would fly to the ship and deliver a letter from Miss Kat, which Aurora read the instant she got them. She really missed Miss Kat. Sometimes she would stare at the sea and remember the waterbender's kind blue eyes. One day when she was leaning over the rail, she slipped and fell into the water. After her father fished her out, he taught her how to dry herself with firebending. That is, until she started sneezing.

"Whoa!" said Zuko, dodging one of her flaming sneezes. "I think you got a cold from falling into the water. Lieutenant Jee! Fetch the healer!"

"Yes sir!" he replied and rushed off.

Aurora then started swaying back and forth, and her eyes clouded over.

"Daddy…" she moaned. "I don't feel so good…" she promptly fainted, and Zuko hurried her down into the infirmary. The instant he got there, the healer was already checking Aurora's forehead for a fever.

Zuko laid her on one of the beds and watched as the healer continued his examination.

"This isn't good. She has the Burning Sickness. If we don't get her fever down, in about a week she'll…die." He said, his voice laden with worry and sorrow. The healer himself had a little girl about her age, a seeing her like this tore holes in his heart.

"We need to dock." Said Zuko, his voice a monotone. "I think I know some people who can help us."

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After they docked in the port city of Shan-Kiri, Zuko quickly hopped off the boat and walked toward a familiar tavern. When he walked in, the person he was looking for was in an arm wrestling tournament.

"Jun." He said, walking up to the table. " I have need of your services."

"Well, well, well, If it isn't Angry Boy himself." She replied while slamming her opponent's arm on to the table. "What do ya need this time?"

"I need you to find someone. If you lead me to them successfully, I'll give you 500 gold pieces."

"You've got yourself a deal." She said standing up to walk out of the tavern. He followed her closely. "So, who do you need to find?" she said once they were outside.

"The waterbender that travels with the Avatar." He replied, holding out Katara's necklace for Jun's Shirshu to sniff.

"All right, hop on." She said. "Hi-ya!"

With a crack of her whip, the beast was off, running through the underbrush like it was nothing.

Soon, the glow of a campfire was visible. Zuko quickly slid off the beast and said to the bounty hunter, "Stay here. If you can get me and the waterbender back to the city, I'll give you another 500 gold."

"Deal, Princey." Jun replied, reining in her Shirshu.

Zuko then walked quickly over to the campfire where he was met with suspicion and hostility.

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Katara's head rose as she heard a rustling in the bushes. Sokka and Aang heard it too and prepared to fight whatever it was.

The boy's suspicions were confirmed when Zuko stepped into the clearing, but before they could attack, he said,

"I'm not here to fight or capture any of you."

"Yeah, right!" said Sokka, raising his boomerang. "What do you really want fire- scum?"

Zuko's anger was spiked with that comment, but he managed to calm himself. "I want to ask a favor of the waterbender. It's about my daughter." He said.

They all instantly thought back to the little Fire Nation girl. They lowered their weapons, knowing that this was too important to lie about.

"What about Aurora?" said Katara, her curiosity getting the better of her, as well as her maternal instincts.

"She is very ill. We've tried everything to get her fever down. My healer says if her fever doesn't come down before the week is over she might…she might die." He said, almost choking on the words.

That statement sent Katara into complete Mother mode. Her eyes were wide as she bowed quickly and said, "I'll go get my things together and come with you, Prince Zuko." She turned and packed up her things fast as lightning.

Sokka was about to object, when Katara cut him off. "You even _think_ of trying to stop me, I'll freeze you to a tree. That little girl is like my own daughter to me. I will not sit by and let her die when I can do something about it." she said, venom dripping from her words.

"Alright Katara." said Aang. "But what if he tries to use you as bait?"

"Zuko?" she said. "Will you promise not to use me as bait?"

"Of course! As long as you are helping my daughter, I will not do anything so dishonorable." He replied, disgusted at the very thought.

"There's your proof, Aang. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a sick little girl to be getting to." She walked over to Zuko, who in turn led her back into the woods where Jun was waiting.

Katara looked at the beast and its owner apprehensively. The incident at the Abbey was all to clear in her mind.

"Don't worry, she's our mode of transportation at the moment." Zuko said helping Katara up onto the Shirshu. He hopped on quickly after her.

"Everybody on?" asked Jun. "Alright, Shirshu let's go!"

They quickly sped off into the night, reaching the village in mere hours.

As soon as the two passengers got off, Zuko handed Jun her money and she left without another word. Zuko then led Katara to his ship, where Aurora was currently trying to heal.

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When Katara arrived at the infirmary, she immediately raced to Aurora's side, uncorking her waterskin as she did so. Aurora's breathing was shallow and labored, and her skin was so hot, Katara was almost scalded. After she assessed the situation, she streamed the water out of its container, and froze it onto the little girl's body.

As she did so, she started to sing a soft lullaby…

(I do not own The Prince of Egypt)

"_Hush now, my baby,_

_be still now, don't cry._

_Sleep as your rocked by the sea."_

Aurora stopped her fevered tossing, and her breathing steadied.

"_Sleep and remember, my loving lullaby,_

_So I'll be with you when you dream."_

Katara then kissed the girl's now cool forehead, and streamed the water off of her. "Sweet dreams, little one." She said.

Little did she know, that a certain Prince watched the whole exchange with a strange look in his eyes.

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End file.
